Wall construction



Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK 13. ALLENQOF LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO IERANKH. DUNBAR.

WALL CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed May 18, 1925. Serial No. 3G,910.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK B. ALLEN,

This invention relates tov wall construction. It relates more particularly to a sectional metal wall composed of imperforate, interlocked parts secured to'exteriorly disposed supports by exteriorly disposed fastoning means.

In the construction of walls, hoppers, bins and the like, it is desirable to provide wall parts which can be standardized in size and shape; Which can be independently replaced when damaged or broken without disturbing, at most, more than the wall parts adjacent to the one replaced; and which are provided with exteriorly disposed fastening means which do not extend through holes through the parts.

Low production, erection and maintenance costs are achieved by'standardization and easy, independent removability of the parts; liquid tightness is achieved by making the parts imperforateand disposing the securing means on the exterior of the parts.

By my invention '1 am enabled to construct a wall having the foregoing adva n tages.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of structure embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an en arged detail view taken on lined-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary inside elevational view of the structure of Fig. 1, with the lining units omitted.

Fig.- 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 55 of'FigJl, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a modified form of wall parts.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, numeral 1 designates as an entirety a hopper for a fpel burning furnace. The hopper 1 is composed of a skeleton supporting Structure comprising spaced metal uprights 2 suspended at their upper ends from suitable supports 3, such as the floor beams of a boiler house, and carrying at their lower ends a metal frame l provided with an opening 5thcrethrough for the discharge of ashes and similar products resulting from the combustion of fuel in the furnace above the hopper.

Disposed within the uprights 2 are wall plates 6 each of which is substantially rectangular and large enough to span the space between a plurality of,-preferably two, adjacent uprights. The end edges 7 of the plates 6 engage and bear against the inner surface or sides of the uprights 2. Each plate 6 is preferably formed with a concavity 8 on its inner surface along its end edges 7 for a purpose later to be described. The top and bottom side edges of the plates 6 are preferably formed to cooperate with the corresponding plates adjacent to and next above and below in a manner to prevent leakage of liquid between the plates. The-lower side edge of each plate is preferably formed with an overhanging or convex portion 9 to overlap the inside of the top edge of the plate next below while the upper edge of each plate is preferably formed with a concavity 10 to be overlapped by the plate thereabove, in which a portion of the overlapping convexity 9 of the upper plate seats. It will be understood, however, that the side and end edges of the plates may be variously formed provided they are so'shaped as to cooperate with each other and with other wall units in forming joints which may be rendered substantially liquidtight when packed with suitable packing material.

As shown in Fig. 5, the plates 6'.are for use in walls where no lining material is to be employed, for example, in a storage bin or hopper. In the remaining figures. however, the plates 3 are shown provided with flanges or ledges 11 projecting from the inner surface thereof for the purpose of supporting suitable lining material, for example, refractory blocks 12 for use in a hopper or in other places where the material retained by the wall is more or less highly heated: These ledges 11 as shown herein stop short of the end edges 7 of the plates so as not to engage with the yokes which will presently be described.

- through a screwed on the end of the bolt on the ex-.

.to cooperate with between.

It will be noted that the plates 6 disposed in substantially the same horizontal row and bearing against a given upright 2 are spaced apart on the upright. Spanning the space betweenthe adjacent edges of such plates I dispose a wall unit or yoke 13, which is provided with side edges 14 suitably formed the adjacent end edges 7 of the plates 6 and be out of contact with the ledges 11. The yokes are elongated in the direction parallel to the length of the uprights. The upper end of each yoke, except the to by the next higher yoke, and in turn, overhangs the next lower yoke thereby making it possible to form leak proof joints there- Where the end edges 7 of the plates 6 are formed with concavities 8 as shown herein, the side edges 14 of the yoke are preferablyvconvex to seat in the coneavities 8 andpress against the inner surface of the plates thereby holding the latter against the inner surface of the upright 2 and maintaining the plates and upright in assembled position. hen plates 6 are spaced far enough apart on any upright to permit,,the lugs 15 onthe yokes may extend therebetween and lie in close contact with the uprights as shown. Fastening means for securing the yoke to the upright may take various forms, but, as shown herein, consists of a bolt 16 which passes hole in the upright 2 and has a head to engage in a lug 15 formed on the exterior surface of the yoke 13. A. nut 17 terior side of the upright serves to detachably and adjustably hold the yoke plates and uprights in assembled position. It will be noted that the lug 15 with which the bolt head engages is so shaped that the bolt can be placed in position in the upright with the nut screwed on loosely and then the yoke slid up until the lug engages with the bolt head.

Walls constructed according to my present invention are inexpensive to manufacture since the plates are standardized and may be made in quantity production of cast iron or other suitable material. The up rights 2 when composed of steel are standard articles of commerce icomthe ordinary rolling mill and the yokes are also standlates and can "similarly be cheaply produced. It will be noted that wall construction embodying my present invention may be very cheaply erected and maintained. Erection is accomplished by first suspending the uprights with the supporting frame-work at the bottom, then placing the wall plates 6 in position and then securing them in place by the yokes. Gorrespondingly, maintenance of the wall is inexpensive since if any given wall plate becomes damaged or broken in use it s p one of a row, is overhung,

\ plates 6 and can be rendered substantially impervious to liquids, which advanta e is of considerable importance where acid waters are present. For example, in ash-hoppers where acids or sulphur are presentin the ashes, it is desirable to employ cast iron wall parts in contact with acid since this material is.

relatively resistant to the corrosive action of suchacids. By my invent on I am able to employ cast iron wall units including the imperforate and the cooperating parts of which are adapted to retain acid-resistant packing material, I am also enabled to employ the relatively very strong steel uprights to carry thecast iron wall units'since" the steel which-is readily attacked by acids the yokes 13, each of which is of sulphur is not exposed to the acids by my invention. lVhere bolts extend through the 'wall units to the interior thereof it is a difficult matter to prevent leakage around the bolts or corrosion of the bolts 01' to dis-' assemble the wall parts independently for maintenance purposes.

Having thus described my invention so that those skilled in the art may be enabled to practice the same, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s defined by what is claimed, it being understood that the fore-' going description. and illustrations have been made by way of illustration and pot for the purpose of limiting 'niy inventio thereto. 3

Vvhat I claim is:

1. A sectional metal wall for a comprising a plurality of spaced metal uprights, a plurality of substantially rectan-- gular imperforate cast iron wall plates disposed within and supported by the said up rights, each wall plate having a liner supporting flange cast integrally, with and extending at an acute angle to the inner sid'e hopper thereof, and a plurality of imperforate,

yoke-like wall units engaging the inner sur faces of the said wall plates topress the same against the said uprights, the said units being secured to the uprights.

2. A sectional metal wall including in combination spaced metal uprights, imperforate metal wall plates disposed within and supported bythe uprights, the said plates having peripherally substantially liquid tight,

overlapping upper and lower edges, and 1mperforate wall units overlapping the side edges of adjacent wall plates and having means disposed on the exterior thereof for securing the units to the uprights, said means including a lug on each wall unit and a bolt engaging therewith and secured to an upright.

3. A sectional metal wall for a hopper comprising spaced steel uprights, a plurality of i'inpert'orate, rectangulan, cast iron Wall plates supported against the inner side of the said uprights, a plurality of substantially rectangular cast iron yokes supported by the uprights and securing ,he said wall plates thereagainst, ach yoke having a lug disposed on the ext eriorthereot, and detachablemeans connecting the lug to an upright.

4. A sectional metal wall including in combination a metal upright, and two adjacent wall plates having end edge portions to engage the inner side of the said upright, each edge portion having a concave inner surface, and a yoke securedto the upright and formed to seat in the concave mner sur faces of the said plates and hold the plates in assembled relation with respect to the up right.

A sectional metal Wall includingin coinbination a metal upright, two adjacent wall lates havin end ed e ortions' en a in r; a:

- the said upright, the said edge portions beingspaced apart from/each other on the n ni ht and a"voke en a in" and secured D 7 s V, B, l

"the upr'ig t.

tions' and formed to engage the innersurfaces of the said end edge portionsto secure' the latterin assembled position with respect to the upright.

'6. A sectional metal wall comprising in combination spaced metal uprights, wall plates eachengagirig a pluralityot uprights, each plate having a liner supporting ledge projecting from-the inner side thereof and extending toward but stopping short of the ends thereof, and yokes each secured to an upright and engaging the inner surfaces of the said plates and out of engagement with the said ledges tor securing the plates against the uprights.

7. A sectional metal Wall including in combination spaced uprights, wall plates hav In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 11th day of May, 1925.

FRANK B. ALLEN.

to the hpright between the said edge. por- 

